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South Africa

Tumelo Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
Mining Method
  • Bord-and-pillar
  • Continuous
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotOn September 3, 2021, Exxaro sold the Exxaro Coal Central (ECC) operations (now renamed Katlego Operations), which include the Tumelo mine, to Overlooked Colliery Proprietary Ltd. Production and financial data have not been publicly available since then.

Tumelo mine was recommissioned and commenced operations in Q2 2019 following technical and financial evaluations.
Related AssetKatlego Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Overlooked Colliery Proprietary Ltd 49 % Indirect
Mmakau Mining (Pty) Ltd 51 % Indirect
Tumelo Coal Mines (Pty) Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
On 8 April 2021, Exxaro signed a sales and purchase agreement with Overlooked Colliery Proprietary Limited disposing of the ECC operation. All conditions precedent to the sales and purchase agreement were fulfilled and the transaction became effective on 3 September 2021.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

Tumelo is to the north of the Smithfield Ridge on the northeastern edge of the Springs-Witbank coalfield. The area is part of the Karoo basin with stratigraphy similar to that of other ECC operations, Dorstfontein and Forzando with subtle location-induced differences.

Six coal seams are developed in the area, named from the base up as S1, S2, S4L, S4U, S4A and S5. S1 is very thin, being only developed in the deepest part of the palaeo-valley. The thickest average seam is the S2 (0.5m to 5.3m), developed mainly in a palaeo-valley where it is either thin or absent over the adjacent palaeo-ridges. S2 has been exploited since Tumelo production started in 2009. S4L is the most continuous and secondthickest seam while S4U is thin and has mostly been eroded. S4A is thin and patchily developed and S5 is only present in a topographically high area in the south east. The only economically exploitable seam is S2.

Late Jurassic dolerite sills and dykes occur in the Tumelo area. The intrusions resulted in displacement of the various seams and devolatilisation of extensive areas of coal. The geological complexity and associated challenges are proactively managed by extensive infill drilling, downhole wireline logging for better contact definition and seam correlation as well as surface mapping, particularly of basement outcrops. This information is captured in a structural model, together with potential risks captured in a GIS-based risk and opportunity domain analysis (RODA), allowing for a more integrated approach to risk management.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

Combined production numbers are reported under Katlego Operation

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 12, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 13, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 13, 2023

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2020

Aerial view:

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